Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

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October 23, 2009

Police nab man for ‘sexting’

By CHARLES OWENS

WAR — A man who attempted to solicit sex from a minor through multiple cell phone text messages is now facing several charges in McDowell County.

Jimmy Lester, 26, of Caretta, is charged with attempted sexual assault third degree, sexual abuse in the third degree and endangering public safety, which is a computer crime-related charge, sheriff’s department Chief Deputy Mark Shelton said.

Shelton said a week-long investigation began on Monday after a male subject driving in a vehicle threw a piece of paper out of the vehicle at a 14-year old male juvenile who was walking on the road. Shelton said the paper asked for “sexual favors” from the juvenile, and included the man’s cell number.

“I took [the cell number] and texted the individual, and acted like I was a 14-year-old male,” Shelton said. “Over the course of the week, he made arrangements that he wanted to meet in an area at which time we did surveillance, and when he showed up we arrested him.”

Shelton said he communicated with the man via text messaging approximately 120 times throughout the course of the week.

Shelton said Lester was arraigned late Thursday in front of Magistrate Martin West who set bond in the case at $50,000. Shelton said Lester was still being held Friday in lieu of the $50,000 bond.

The McDowell County Sheriff’s Department was assisted by the War Police Department in the investigation.

Shelton said the incident was one of the first texting cases to be worked by the sheriff’s office.

Shelton said parents should always check their children’s text messages from time to time to monitor who they are talking with.

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com





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